Final Draft Blog

All the tips, tricks and information you need to inspire your writing!
Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

The Triumphant Return of LALIFF

October 3, 2019

Last year, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) returned after a five-year hiatus. Back again this past summer, LALIFF “doubled in audience, sponsors and excitement,” says Rafael Agustín, LALIFF’s Executive Director. “We weren’...

5 Screenwriting Contest Tips from Professional Readers

October 2, 2019

Ah the dream of being discovered through a screenplay contest; plucked from obscurity and showered with accolades and praise. Maybe some cash for your troubles. But the truth is, most scripts don’t even make it past that first round of cuts, never to...

Write On with Emergence Creators Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas

October 1, 2019

Emergence creators & showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas discuss their approach to writing the show, their influences while developing it, their work on previous shows and more.

The Weekend Movie Takeaway: 'Abominable' Dominates the Weekend's Box Office

September 30, 2019

In a weekend indicative of the relatively fallow period between the summer movie season and when the awards contenders take over the cineplex, a humble animated film managed to dominate the box office.

All the Write Moves: 'Unbelievable'

September 30, 2019

There’s a long and noble tradition of TV shows tackling serious social issues, but there’s also a long and not-so-noble tradition of TV shows transforming social issues into sensationalism. It’s the safe move, from the perspectives of business and st...

The Fast Five: New Markets Give More Aspiring Writers a Shot

September 30, 2019

It was a big week for aspiring writers and filmmakers. Vimeo launched a jobs marketplace for creatives to work on their craft and A24 began publishing screenplays of some of their best movies. There has never been a better time to break into the indu...

Spec Spotlight: Meredith Dawson Sells Spec to Universal, Paul Feig to Produce

September 27, 2019

Screenwriter Meredith Dawson is hoping to reignite the romantic comedy genre with the recent sale of her spec script, When Michael Met Carrie…and Other People. Universal Pictures snapped up the script, which will also be directed by Dawson, with Paul...

New Workshops Provide Tools + Experience for Female and Diverse Screenwriters

September 26, 2019

There’s a new organization in Hollywood offering workshops for writers with diverse backgrounds looking to break into the television industry. The Writers Room 5050 was created by award-winning writer-director-producer Evette Vargas, and actress-prod...

Write On With 2018 Big Break Winner Myles Reid

September 25, 2019

2018 Big Break Television Winner Myles Reid discusses his winning script 'Scattershot', how he first got into storytelling, his writing process and much more.